The year was 2007 and it was my birthday. It was a cold,
rainy day and I was standing inside Old Trafford, England. I had absolutely no
clue about Manchester United and only the most rudimentary knowledge about
football itself. Yet, there I was, in the dressing room of one of the most famous
football stadiums in the world, thinking, “So this is where Beckham sits,” as
he was the only English football player I knew and that too only because of the
movie Bend It Like Beckham. I even picked up an outrageously overpriced
souvenir in the gift shop and eventually gave it away to a friend because it
was not something which held a lot of importance to me.

Me @ Old Trafford, Manchester

Fast forward to 2009. Lo and behold! I found myself married
to a die-hard Manchester United fan. The sound of live sports commentary and a
cheering crowd became a constant background noise in our house. I sat glass
eyed through endless football matches as the husband whooped or cursed aloud
depending on how the “red devils” were performing. I got caught in the middle
of vociferous arguments about who is going to win, who actually won and who
really deserved to win.

I did not miss the irony. Here I was - someone who didn’t
care two hoots about football and much less about Man U – and I had gone on a
tour of their turf, which hardly meant anything to me to be frank, and here was
my husband, to whom the same experience would have been a dream come true. Honestly,
if it was possible, I would gladly go back in time and trade places with him,
because I know that it would be one of the happiest moments in his life.

In the dressing room @Old Trafford

However, as far as I know, time travel has not yet come of age.
But what has come of age are online travel planning websites which make
life so much simple and quick! No more running behind travel agents and
breaking our heads over our travel plans.

Having said that, one also needs to
ensure that the online travel company that we deal with is trustworthy and
reliable. With a number of such ecommerce websites popping up, it is easy to
get swindled. One is then left chasing the company and thus begins a never
ending saga of calls to their so-called customer service. In the end, what is
supposed to become a dream holiday ends up becoming a nightmare instead. This is
why it is vital that we do our research and groundwork before zeroing in on any
deals. Sometimes, a deal might look really attractive, but remember, if it
sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

A close friend recently got married and he spent a lot of
time comparing different travel planning websites, to pick a honeymoon package.
Finally he decided to go with Yatra.com because he was really impressed
with their offers and service. He and his fiancé settled on a lovely honeymoon
trip to Mauritius where they had a great time, thanks to Yatra.Com. Everything,
including the flights, hotel stay and sightseeing excursions went smoothly and according
to plan. They were quite pleased with Yatra.com and strongly recommended them
to us as well. I decided to check them out for myself and I could immediately
see why my friend was all praises for Yatra.com. Yatra.com offers a variety of
travel packages to a number of interesting destinations across the world. The
website is user friendly and easy to navigate. Whether you are looking for a
honeymoon package or a family holiday or something adventurous, rest
assured that Yatra.com will have the right options for you! You can plan and
book your holiday at the click of your mouse. Easy-peasy!

Old Trafford Museum

In our case, my husband’s sister is living in Manchester.
Plus, since I was working in England a few years back, I also have a bunch of
friends who would be glad to put us up for a few days. So we don’t really need
to worry about booking hotels. And with the current state of the rupee, not having to spend on accommodation is a great plus indeed! I would take care of the visa formalities and go
to yatra.com to book flight tickets to Manchester. Then I would book a
personalised tour of the stadium for my husband so that he can take his time to savour
the experience.

Inside the Man U stadium

The English Premiere League has just started. So I
would make sure to get front row tickets to a Man U match and give my husband the
opportunity to watch his football heroes in action right in front of him. As
the crowd erupts into a deafening roar, complete with stomping feet and waving
flags, I will sit back and bask in the glory of knowing that I was responsible
for creating one of the most memorable moments in his life that he will never forget
– even if he gets Alzheimer’s (God forbid!) This will be an experience that he
will cherish forever!